Most of the excitement in the MVP race was generated by middle infielders. The final vote was a close one between two shortstops, Oakland's Miguel Tejada and Texas' Alex Rodriguez. Tejada's Athletics led the Amercian League with 103 wins; they actually had a losing record after two months, then got hot, and went on a 20-game win streak during the summer. Tejada, an outstanding defensive shortstop, played in every game and was among the league leaders in hits, homers and RBI.
Rodriguez was the Rangers' $25 million dollar man. He too played in every game; he also set a record for shortstops by belting 57 home runs, and led the league in homers and RBI. A-Rod was also the leader in total bases and was among the leaders in OPS, and won a Gold Glove for good measure. He had a season for all seasons, but with one problem: the Rangers had a crummy year, losing 90 games. The writers chose Tejada as the MVP, citing the large difference he made to the playoff race in the AL.
Another compelling argument was presented by Alfonso Soriano, the Yankees' 24-year-old second baseman, who had a whopper of a sophomore season. Batting at the top of New York's lineup, Soriano led the league in all sorts of good things, like at bats, hits, runs, stolen bases and extra-base hits. He was also second in total bases and third in doubles, but also second in strikeouts. Soriano was an oddity at the plate — a thin, wiry player who swung a heavy bat — but he wowed fans with his exposive power.
Though he wasn't a factor in the MVP vote, Nomar Garciaparra made a triumphant recovery from the wrist problems that had plagued his 2001 season. Nomar was about as good as Tejada, playing in almost every game and hitting with line-drive power. This was a banner year for AL shortstops; little David Eckstein became a fan favourite with his gritty play for the Angels in the playoffs, while Mike Bordick set a record for consecutive games played without an error. Veterans Derek Jeter and Omar Vizquel also had their usual fine seasons.
I have made over 200 MVP selections on this site, and it has been my custom to always give the award to the player who I think was clearly the best in the league. This year, that man was Alex Rodriguez. I could accept the argument that the MVP should come from a winning team if the voters were consistent about it; but they're not, so I'll try to be consistent with my own arguments.
The problem I have with the current trend in MVP voting is how much the quality of a player's teammates influences what should be an award for individuals. Alex Rodriguez did not win the MVP because he had lousy teammates; the argument is that the Rangers finished last with him, and could have finished last without him. On the flip side, you have cases of players (like, say, Bernie Williams) who do poorly in the MVP vote because they play with other great players. The argument is that the Yankees finished first with Bernie, but they have so many great players that they could also have finished first without him.
Tejada won the award, then, because his teammates were "just right". Good enough to win, but not good enough to win without him. I call it the Goldilocks Principle; if your teammates run too hot or too cold, your performance is probably going to get overlooked. But if your teammates are "just right" then you have a good chance at getting the postseason hardware.
It also helped, of course, that Tejada was a relatively new face, a cheerful personality who has never committed a sin in public, and who doesn't make $25 million a year. But I'll have none of it; Alex Rodriguez was the best player in the American League this season, as he has been in other seasons. Years from now, his poor showing in the MVP vote will reflect badly on the writers' judgment, just as my generation wonders how Hank Aaron only managed to win only one award.
Former Athletic first baseman Jason Giambi decided that if you can't beat the Yankees, you may as well join them, and signed a big contract with the Bombers before the season. He had a monster year, and was the leader of a powerhouse Yankee lineup that led the league in runs scored, making up for the team's shortcomings in pitching and defense.
After inching closer and closer the previous few seasons, Indians' slugger Jim Thome cracked the 50-homer plateau for the first time in his career. Giambi and Thome were probably the two top hitters in the league; Boston's Manny Ramirez also had big numbers but missed several weeks with a broken hand.
Giambi did not do as well in the MVP vote as his teammate, Soriano. This was, I think, a clear case of the voters favouring a fresh new face over a player who, after signing a huge contract, was saddled with impossible expectations. Soriano had a wonderful season, but his value was hurt by his poor plate discipline. Soriano struck out 157 times, while drawing only 23 walks. Soriano played a tougher position, but he was not among the better defensive second basemen in the league.
Rodriguez gets my vote for MVP, but I am placing Giambi second. I think that, next to Rodriguez, Tejada was the best of the middle infielders; it is possible that his defense was strong enough to put him ahead of Giambi, but I will stick with the big slugger. Another big slugger, Thome, gets my vote for the fourth spot.
